I think we’re at a bit of a crossroads. Covid infection rates, hospitalisations and deaths have flatlined in recent weeks and while we might continue to hold our breath in case winter brings a new spike, we appear to be getting back to some sort of normal. But look closer – things are not as settled as they might seem.

There’s one guaranteed topic of conversation in the industry pub at the moment – what’s going to happen about getting people back to work? For those who run small businesses particularly, it’s a febrile issue designed to heat up the conversation almost immediately. Passionate arguments can be made on both sides. On the one hand, covid and forced home working has opened our eyes to a new way of life – one that allows us to self-determine where and how we work, as long as we fulfil our duties. Less stress, less expensive travel, more time with the kids, a different, more productive working week. On the other hand, some see the scattering of teams as the death of effective collaboration – the tyranny of Zoom that denies the subtlety of reading body language in a room and silences the less confident.

The power balance has shifted. In a conversation last week an architect I know, owner of a mid-sized practice, became visibly distressed when discussing how powerless they felt to make decisions about how their office would work in a post-pandemic world.

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